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Pharmacy ethics teaching: an innovative approach

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BACKGROUND The prevailing method of teaching pharmacy ethics is with problem-based learning involving dispensing and counseling workshops and practice scenarios. This was the approach initially taken when developing and implementing courses in the Pharmacy programs at Griffith University. METHOD Needs assessments, observation and feedback were used to identify where modifications to this approach would improve students' understanding and performance of ethical decision making. These modifications were based on Kohlberg's stages of moral development and Bebeau's principles of ethical decision making. Ethical sensitivity is taught using lectures and practicals where students indentify and classify issues. Later teaching emphasises moral reasoning using a Socratic approach with the emphasis moving from reasoning to judgement. In their final year students are exposed to actual cases, as well as complex practice situations where they are required to demonstrate a robust decision making process, make an appropriate choice and implement it. RESULTS The success of this strategy has been validated by feedback from preceptors, indicating that 99% of students acted professionally. Employers of graduates also rated them on 'Demonstrates knowledge of ethics, ethical standards and social responsibility' between competent and exceptional. CONCLUSION Ethics teaching must be gradual, linking concepts to existing experiences and knowledge before progressing to focus on integrating ethics into pharmacy practice. The use of real practice case studies is a powerful teaching tool that captures the attention of students and grounds their thinking. Overall this approach to teaching ethics produces competent professionals who are aware of their boundaries.